It was May 10th when I excitedly met a huge Greek personal trainer named Nikko at my gym who put me through my first weight training session. At the time I was a little smug thinking it would be easy. After all I'm a former marathon runner and triathlete. By the time I left I was a humbled, exhausted sap with shaky, twitchy muscles who was embarrassed by how weak I really was. I was in pain for 3 days afterward (serious pain!). Since then I have been dutifully training 3-4 times a week and have learned a lot in the process. In my opinion there are distinct pros and cons to weight training. In 5 weeks of training I have increased the weight on each exercise by 10 pounds, am up to 20 reps per set and and up to 4 sets per exercise. For reference when I started, I was doing 12-15 reps & 3 sets of each exercise.
So what are the pros you ask? Below is the list from my perspective.
Being Stronger: You're probably thinking "well, duh!", but I have noticed an increase in overall strength and stamina during my cardio workouts and in general daily activities. In general, I am a stronger person. My core and back are stronger, as are my legs & arms. It's a really good feeling!
Muscle Tone I am able to see definition in areas that I formerly could not. The most noticeable areas are my arms and upper legs (the thigh/glut area). Both areas are larger in circumference but tight (especially my arms) and toned. When I put sleeveless shirts I do a few Arnold Schwarzenegger "muscle moves" just to see the muscles pop out on my arms - super fun! My husband caught me doing that this morning and got a good laugh - it was a little embarrassing!
Walking Taller: Another perk has been an improvement in my posture. I caught a glimpse of my reflection as I was walking down the hall at work one day last week and noticed that my back is straighter and my shoulders are lower and further back. This was so pleasing that I added a little strut to my walk. Too bad the only place I was going was the bathroom.
Filling out clothes: One of the first things I noticed a few weeks after starting to train is that my clothes fit differently, specifically skirts and pants. They are looser around the waist but a little more snug around the rear and thighs. I absolutely love this! I haven't noticed much difference in shirts except for it being more fun to wear sleeveless shirts and dresses.
Stress Relief & Satisfaction: Okay, I have discovered that weight training is a FANTASTIC way to blow off steam (better than running) and is incredibly satisfying! There is nothing like pushing through and a tough set when your muscles are screaming to quit and the only thing that forces you to keep going is your will. Now I know why the big scary dudes lifting in weight training area look so determined and mean. It's hard work!! But so very satisfying! I now feel a little kinship with the big scary dudes (although I still never make eye contact).
As with anything there are a few cons, these are the ones that I have noticed.
Weight Gain: Okay, this one is specific to me. Most people who weight train actually lose weight, but in my case I have actually put on about 2 pounds. You are probably thinking, "two pounds..so what?!?". However, for me this has taken some getting used to because I keep a very tight reign on my weight and am only comfortable with a fluctuation of 2-3 pounds in either direction. Right now rather than a dry weight baseline of 109/110, I'm closer to 111/112. Nikko warned me about this when he sized me up during our first session. He said, "You will likely not lose weight and you might even gain some but you will be the same size and your shape will change". Honestly, I didn't believe him but he was right. Oh Nikko, when will I trust that you know more about this than I do?
Soreness: Okay, this is one of the definite cons. You pretty much walk around all the time sore or stiff in differing areas from a recent workout. This is because as you get stronger you continue to add weight or sets to keep challenging your muscles. They say that frequent massages help, but my chintzy self is hesitant to fork over $200 a month to get a couple of massages. I may start getting them more frequently (as in more than just annually) but haven't really looked in to it much. Too bad massages aren't like frozen yogurts when after you buy some you get one free. Now THAT would be nice!
So that is my review as a newbie to strength training. Is it perfect? No, but do the pros outweigh the cons? You bet! So that's my propaganda for weight training because like Hanz & Franz, I'm here to PUMP (clap), YOU UP! Ha!
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